Arsenal made one of the most surprising moves in the January transfer window when they signed Jorginho from Chelsea. After spending most of the month going after Moises Caicedo of Brighton and Hove Albion, it was the Italian that ended up at the Emirates.
There has been mixed reactions to say the least as fans were expecting a young player full of potential. But due to various factors, they have to be okay with getting an experienced midfielder whose pace is perhaps his worst attribute.
To get a better understanding of what the former Napoli man can do, it is important to look at what he will bring to the Gunners squad. And the answer might end up surprising you.
Leadership
This is a word that gets thrown around a lot and that is because of how important it is in a team. Take one look at the north Londoners and you will see that there are leaders strewn all over the pitch. Now, these people do not have to be the vocal kind that are always making noise. Some lead by action and others with their thoughts. Jorginho is certainly the latter kind but do not think that he isn’t going to be vocal too.
As we have seen him in Italy and then in England, there is a certain calmness that the 31-year-old brings to the game. And when you have a team such as the league leaders who sometimes play with real fury, it is good to have these calm heads around. The Italy international is known for his ability to organise the team and maintain the shape.
In a way, he does play like Mikel Arteta and his mentor Pep Guardiola. There are a lot of similarities in how the new arrival showcases his talent. We know that Arteta and Pep in particular have been huge fans of the player since his days in Naples. If things had gone slightly different, Jorginho would have been the midfield fulcrum of Guardiola’s side.
Important Depth
One of the major differences that we can see between Arsenal and Manchester City is the quality of the depth. Given that they can bring on world class talent from the bench, the Gunners needed to react. The good news is that they have done so, and they have done it by being shrewd in the market. You cannot expect the Emirates to drop £50m on a bench player.
What they have done is look for quality and value for money. That is very evident in the arrivals of the Italian maestro as well as Leandro Trossard. They may not start every match but having them as a backup will surely raise the quality in the squad. It will also ensure that certain players are not run to the ground which increases the risk of injury.
Since you have the club in the race for the Europa League as well, being able to bring on players of this quality is very helpful. One of the most important players for the Gunners is Thomas Partey. But the major problem with the Ghana international is that he can get injured. When that happens, it can threaten to throw the season into disarray. That is where Jorginho comes in. Another factor to remember is the injury suffered by Mohamed Elneny who could be out for a long time.
Weaknesses?
If you were to ask a casual fan what they thought of the former Chelsea man, one word you will commonly hear is slow. And yes, the midfielder is no spring chicken and is not going to win races against many players. He lacks physically, but more than makes up for it mentally. The speed of thought he has and perhaps most importantly, his positioning make him an ideal player for that ‘6’ role.
The way Arteta likes to use Ben White and Alex Zinchenko will help Jorginho as he will have less space to defend. This reduces the margin of error and he can focus more on pinging those passes around. Given how much the manager admires his new midfield general, it can be safely said that Arteta would have a plan in mind.
The setup of the squad will ensure that any weakness we see are mitigated. Granit Xhaka is not the fastest, but he is another player who uses his experience, intelligence and positioning to do well. While the worry from fans is understandable, it is not like the Gunners are weakening themselves in any way. There is a lot to be gained from this signing, what could they be?
Strengths?
As we have mentioned earlier, leadership is one of the strong suits of the central midfielder. The next best attribute apart from his tactical intelligence has to be his passing range. One of the drawbacks of having Thomas Partey as the lone ‘6’ is that he has a tendency to play the pass too quickly. Or sometimes, he looks for the more complicated pass when a simple one would suffice.
Jorginho is excellent at this part of the game as his ability to scan the pitch and look for opportunities help keep the tempo flowing. This will especially be useful when playing teams that are defending deep where having the ball is more important. It is not always about finding the pass that unlocks the defence. It is about creating a pattern of play that helps the team attack with more cohesion.
All of this shows just how Jorginho is admired by the likes of Arteta and Guardiola. They understand the value that the veteran brings to the midfield. And if you can play him in a system where his flaws will be taken care of, the Italian can prove to be a really useful player.
Conclusion
Is this the best transfer that the Gunners could have made? The answer is no but it is one of the safer options that they went with. You are getting a player that has proven himself in the Premier League. This means that he will not need any time to get used to the pace of the league. Having played a similar system under Maurizio Sarri at Napoli and Chelsea, the midfielder will fit in beautifully into the way Arteta wants to play.
Also, the midfielder does give the north Londoners different options in the centre. They can rest Partey or Xhaka. Alternatively, they can mix up the three in the middle to meet the challenges that are thrown by other teams. And that is the kind of squad building which turns teams into champions. A few months from now, when you buy your Arsenal tickets to witness the potential league winners at the Emirates, this signing could be one of the more important parts of the journey.
It is encouraging that Arsenal reacted quickly once they realised that the pursuit of Caicedo was not going anywhere. Over the course of the year and a half, the Gunners board has shown that they invariably get it right in the transfer market. So, while Jorginho is not the kind of name to grab headlines, he is a solid addition that brings a host of vital qualities. To win the league or to be successful in general, you need to show that you are flexible. Adapting to what the market throws at you is what separates the best from the rest.
